HUNTER, YANKS ADD TO A'S WOES
NY Starter Wins 20th
OAKLAND, Sept. 1 (AP) - Catfish Hunter became the second major leaguer to reach
the 20-win threshold, firing a complete game three-hit shutout to lead the New
York Yankees past the Oakland Athletics 3-0 at the Oakland Coliseum. The
victory completed a three-game sweep and represents the ninth loss in ten games
for the slumping A's. Oakland remains tied for first place in the American
League West with Kansas City; the Royals lost to the Orioles, 10-4, in
Baltimore.
The Yankees scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the
second. Lou Piniella and Chris Chambliss laced back-to-back singles off
A's starter Vida Blue, giving New York runners on first and second. Graig
Nettles flied out and Cesar Tovar's slow roller to first moved the baserunners
to second and third with two outs. Willie Randolph followed by lining a
single to right, scoring Piniella and Chambliss for a 2-0 Yankees lead.
In the fifth, New York added an unearned insurance run. With one out,
right fielder Claudell Washington, just off the disabled list, botched
Randolph's fly ball for an error. Randolph then stole second base and
advanced to third on a passed ball charged to catcher Jeff Newman. Blue
fanned Fred Stanley but Mickey Rivers drilled a base hit to right, scoring
Randolph.
The A's managed a grand total of only four baserunners off Hunter. Don
Baylor doubled with one out in the bottom of the first but Hunter struck out
both Joe Rudi and Willie McCovey. McCovey was making his Oakland debut
after being acquired on waivers from San Diego, but went hitless. In the
sixth, Newman doubled to left and advanced to third when Bert Campaneris
grounded out but was stranded when Hunter got Baylor on a pop fly to
second. Washington's one-out eighth inning single amounted to nothing when
Hunter struck out Phil Garner and retired pinch hitter Bill North on a bouncer
to second.
The A's appeared to have one last gasp in the ninth when Baylor reached on
Randolph's error with one out but Rudi rolled into a 4-6-3 double play to end
the game.
Hunter tied a season high with nine strikeouts and threw his second complete
game this season without issuing a base on balls. Overall, it was the 21st
complete game of the year for Hunter and his third shutout. The Yankees
right-hander is tied with Frank Tanana of California for the AL lead in the
former category and has now won six of his last seven starts.
9/1/1976, NYA76-Oak76, Oakland Coliseum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Yankees 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 8 1 4 1 1976 Athletics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 3 2 Yankees AB R H BI AVG Athletics AB R H BI AVG Rivers cf 4 0 2 1 .293 Campaneris ss 4 0 0 0 .253 White,R lf 4 0 1 0 .285 Baylor rf 4 0 1 0 .275 Munson c 4 0 1 0 .292 Rudi lf 4 0 0 0 .245 Piniella rf 4 1 2 0 .309 McCovey dh 3 0 0 0 .167 Chambliss 1b 4 1 1 0 .312 Bando 3b 3 0 0 0 .247 Nettles 3b 4 0 0 0 .257 Tenace 1b 3 0 0 0 .283 Tovar dh 4 0 0 0 .154 Washington cf 3 0 1 0 .262 Randolph 2b 3 1 1 2 .288 Garner 2b 3 0 0 0 .244 Stanley,F ss 3 0 0 0 .274 Newman c 2 0 1 0 .164 34 3 8 3 North ph 1 0 0 0 .267 Haney c 0 0 0 0 .212 30 0 3 0 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Hunter W 20-6 9.0 3 0 0 0 9 118 80 2.65 9.0 3 0 0 0 9 118 80 Athletics INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Blue L 17-12 9.0 8 3 2 0 4 120 82 2.98 9.0 8 3 2 0 4 120 82 Oak: North batted for Newman in the 8th Haney inserted at c in the 9th E-Randolph, Washington. 2B-Piniella(17), Baylor(17), Newman(1). RBI-Rivers(56), Randolph 2(41). SB-Randolph(27). K-Chambliss, Nettles, Randolph, Stanley,F, Campaneris 3, Rudi, McCovey, Bando 2, Tenace, Garner. PB-Newman. GWRBI: Randolph Temperature: 56, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 11 MPH. Attendance: 22,478 Game Time: 2:08